What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Ptrs # AL01200902501INCIDENT # IAL012009275/28/2009 at 1049AM fai FSDO received a phone call from roc of a B737-700 that hit a flock of ducks on takeoff. Damage was to nose, radome, and cracked co-pilot windscreen. Aircraft returned to fai without further incident. Airplane arrived earlier that morning from anc with scheduled flights to fai to deadhorse, AK returning to fai to anc that day. Weather conditions at departure from fai were VMC, VFR conditions below 4500 MSL. At roughly 0932AM PIC weiss departed flight number CON271 fai runway 19R, experienced normal takeoff and climb out and was in the process of checking normal checklist items during climb. As they climbed through 1200 feet, approximately 4 miles from end of the runway, the crew initially saw out the right side of the airplane a bird and looked left seeing a large flock of ducks, guessing 30 or so. The birds were hard to see as they blended in with background of the low clouds. Crew saw no exit path for the airplane from the flock of ducks but looked like a less dense area to the left and at the initial point they began a left turn, the crew heard multiple thud sounds like the birds/ducks hitting the airplane. Crew didn't know how many ducks had hit the airplane and there was no way to avoid them. Fo paden ducked down just before a duck impacted the right windscreen. They immediately levelled off from their climb out, notified air traffic control , the flight attendants, and requested a left hand pattern to land, received the clearance to land, completed all appropriate checklists, landed, and taxied to gate 5, fai main terminal.
As the FAA filed it
PTRS # AL01200902501INCIDENT # IAL012009275/28/2009 AT 1049AM FAI FSDO RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM ROC OF A B737-700 THAT HIT A FLOCK OF DUCKS ON TAKEOFF. DAMAGE WAS TO NOSE, RADOME, AND CRACKED CO-PILOT WINDSCREEN. AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO FAI WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AIRPLANE ARRIVED EARLIER THAT MORNING FROM ANC WITH SCHEDULED FLIGHTS TO FAI TO DEADHORSE, AK RETURNING TO FAI TO ANC THAT DAY. WEATHER CONDITIONS AT DEPARTURE FROM FAI WERE VMC, VFR CONDITIONS BELOW 4500 MSL. AT ROUGHLY 0932AM PIC WEISS DEPARTED FLIGHT NUMBER CON271 FAI RUNWAY 19R, EXPERIENCED NORMAL TAKEOFF AND CLIMB OUT AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CHECKING NORMAL CHECKLIST ITEMS DURING CLIMB. AS THEY CLIMBED THROUGH 1200 FEET, APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES FROM END OF THE RUNWAY, THE CREW INITIALLY SAW OUT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE A BIRD AND LOOKED LEFT SEEING A LARGE FLOCK OF DUCKS, GUESSING 30 OR SO. THE BIRDS WERE HARD TO SEE AS THEY BLENDED IN WITH BACKGROUND OF THE LOW CLOUDS. CREW SAW NO EXIT PATH FOR THE AIRPLANE FROM THE FLOCK OF DUCKS BUT LOOKED LIKE A LESS DENSE AREA TO THE LEFT AND AT THE INITIAL POINT THEY BEGAN A LEFT TURN, THE CREW HEARD MULTIPLE THUD SOUNDS LIKE THE BIRDS/DUCKS HITTING THE AIRPLANE. CREW DIDN'T KNOW HOW MANY DUCKS HAD HIT THE AIRPLANE AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO AVOID THEM. FO PADEN DUCKED DOWN JUST BEFORE A DUCK IMPACTED THE RIGHT WINDSCREEN. THEY IMMEDIATELY LEVELLED OFF FROM THEIR CLIMB OUT, NOTIFIED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL , THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, AND REQUESTED A LEFT HAND PATTERN TO LAND, RECEIVED THE CLEARANCE TO LAND, COMPLETED ALL APPROPRIATE CHECKLISTS, LANDED, AND TAXIED TO GATE 5, FAI MAIN TERMINAL.